A lawn mower according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,152 includes a headlight and sidelight assembly incorporated in a front portion of a hood. The headlight and sidelight assembly consists of a right sub-assembly and a left sub-assembly each having a light housing, a reflector, and a light bulb. In the right sub-assembly, the reflector and the light bulb are arranged so that an irradiation range has a wide angle of approximately 170 degrees with a light-emitting centerline being defined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees on the right forward side. Meanwhile, in the left sub-assembly, the reflector and the light bulb are arranged so that an irradiation range has a wide angle of approximately 170 degrees with a light-emitting centerline being defined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees on the left forward side. As a result, the headlight and sidelight assembly including the right and left sub-assemblies has an irradiation range of an angle of approximately 270 degrees including the entire area of the forward side and part of the rear side of the headlight and sidelight assembly. However, the headlight and sidelight assembly is arranged in a region around an upper end of a front grille mounted on a frame supported by front wheels, and thus a lower portion of the vehicle body (a region close to the ground) is not considered as a substantial irradiation range. As a result, a region between the front wheels and a mower unit positioned rearwardly of the front wheels is not irradiated satisfactorily. This causes a disadvantage that conditions of lawn grass just before being mown are hardly visible in mowing operation in the dim light.
A ride-on mower according U.S. Design Pat. No. 655,316 includes elements like headlights disposed in a relatively low position in a front end portion of a vehicle body positioned forwardly of front wheels. Even if such elements are the headlights, no consideration is given to irradiating a region rearwardly of those headlights. In other words, the region between the front wheels positioned rearwardly of those elements and a mower unit positioned farther rearwardly of the front wheels that is about to undergo mowing operation cannot enjoy the benefit of the lighting from those elements, even if the elements are the headlights.
In view of the above-noted situation, there has been a demand for a ride-on mower for properly irradiating a region between front wheels and a mower unit as well.